Yfait (Ēfät)

The Yfait people have a rich and colorful earthen-arts based culture with a strong emphasis on clay paints, tile making, and stone carving. They are found mostly in Motanu, with minor populations in Farne, Torore, Shasat, and Euenia. They came from across the southwestern ocean nearly two thousand years ago.

Naming Traditions

Feminine names

Nneleng, Serefete, Lewaufi, Tia, Jamea, Gethera, Jehlani, Ramiya, Zahra

Masculine names

Edam, Moratiwa, Mookei, Kenosi, Kgoetere, Is'hya, Anaka, Shafi, Hishaad

Unisex names

Kopo, Wabiso, Nore, Bonapelo

Family names

Maino, Tshebiso, Omaala, Tumitse, Gope

Culture

Major language groups and dialects

Given the small concentration of Iphot people in Fir'nost, their language dialect does not vary much. The people speak their native tongue of Ibash, a very glottal language that engages the hard palate as well as throaty clicks and nasal stops. It has a rhythmic cadence when spoken.
The Yfait accent when speaking Nuthele has a very nasally tone, with a hard emphasis on B's, P's, and X's.

Common Dress code

Yfait weave is often made from flax or cotton blend, dyed in bright colors and embroidered in intricate patterns. The cloth is worn in easily-removable layers: loose, baggy pants and an undershirt, typically in muted colors; a long, heavily-detailed skirt that ties around the hips; and a patterned vest over the undershirt. The style is sometimes accompanied by a headdress made from the same cloth material. Clay bead jewelry is a common accessory.
The most distinctive part of Iphot dress is the painted faces. During events and social gatherings, the Iphot people will decorate their faces with colorful clay paints in intricate patterns.

Art & Architecture

The Yfait people excel in tile making, and the craft is handed down through artisanal families as a closely-guarded secret. Additionally, many great stone sculptors have emerged from the people.

Ideals

Beauty Ideals

Yfait beauty standards favor those of a dark complexion. A more filled-out build is often preferred, and short hair or baldness is the tradition, although longer hairstyles decorated with clay stains and beads are coming into fashion. Round faces and features are held in high regard.

Gender Ideals

Matriarchs are considered those deserving of the most respect in Yfait culture, and a matriarch is considered the head of the family in most households. Older women often hold seats of power.

Courtship Ideals

Courtships are typically reserved for high-ranking and noble families. Commoners of Yfait culture do not often make a relationship well known until they are ready to wed. Yfait courtships between nobles are arranged between the joining families and are more a performance than an actual courtship, as those courting have usually known each other since childhood.